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When you hear the name, skunk cabbage, you instinctively wrinkle your nose, thinking it smells bad. You're so right. This first flowering plant of spring doesn't exactly smell good. "The flowers of skunk cabbage have no colorful petals to attract pollinating insects," Helen Hamilton says of the native plant that flowers in winter. Hamilton is author of "Wildflowers and Grasses of Virginia's Coastal Plain" and past president of the John Clayton Chapter, Virginia Native Plant Society. Learn more about the wildflower book at http://wildflowersofvirginia.com and the chapter and its year-round events at http://www.claytonvnps.org. "Instead, they emit...

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When you hear the name, skunk cabbage, you instinctively wrinkle your nose, thinking it smells bad.You're so right. This first flowering plant of spring doesn't exactly smell good."The flowers of skunk cabbage have no colorful petals to attract...

Last year, Michael and Suzanne Naler won a landscape makeover for their backyard in Newport News, courtesy of Landscapes by Eric Bailey of York County.
Before the $10,000 redo, the yard was bland, according to the Nalers. They won the prize at a 2014...

How interior designers work is the topic of a free program Tuesday, Feb. 24 at the Middlesex County Public Library."Talk to an Interior Designer" runs from 1 p.m.-2:30 p.m. featuring Pam Deihl, a professional interior designer, according to a...

Oh, dear, the deer are doing it again – eating everything in sight in your lovely yard.
Late winter can be your worst deer-related nightmare because it's when their natural food supply of acorns, grasses and tender foliage is pretty much gone.
When that...

With nearly 50 million citizens age 65 and older living in the United States and Canada, seniors represent one of the fastest growing population segments, but also a demographic commonly targeted for crime. As the senior population continues to increase —...

Though only a sophomore, Joelle Vereb already has received a letter of interest from national swimming power UCLA. Like most in her sport, that interest came via her performances on the elite club level.
But for Vereb, and many others her age, high...

It's hard to believe, but soon plants will be moving into the garden centers and dreams of a beautiful and productive garden will be filling your head. Many gardeners however find that when it comes to putting plans down on paper, they freeze. Perhaps...

The look of your party can be just as important as its other elements. So go above and beyond a plain table setting. Set the mood for your party and provide a striking visual to accompany the feast by creating a thematic "tablescape."The experts...

I'm a stickler for proper identification. I understand not everyone is a stickler and I appreciate that.
I fall somewhere in the middle between hard-core birder and recreational birding enthusiast. Still, it's important to have the proper names but...

Scenic Virginia is all about its name — preserving, protecting and promoting the state's beauty.
In early February, the nonprofit organization partners with the Garden Club of Virginia Symposium held at Colonial Williamsburg to do just that. Some of...

February and March will bring several shows and exhibitions to the area. Mark your calendar so you won't miss these upcoming events:•Friday-Sunday, Jan. 30-Feb. 1, Virginia Flower and Garden Expo at the Virginia Beach Convention Center in Virginia...

Camellias are plants with benefits — they add pops of flower color in the winter garden and help feed pollinating insects that emerge on warm winter days.
"Camellias belong in the home landscape because they are attractive, evergreen shrubs that...

Today, you meet the nice native yaupon holly and not-so-nice nandina – both red-berried beauties this time of the year.
You also meet the beneficial Henry's Elfin butterfly.
Information on these species comes courtesy of Helen Hamilton, author of...

Upcoming home, garden events•The Right Cut. Saturday, Jan. 17. 10 a.m. The James City County/Williamsburg Master Gardeners will conduct a workshop to provide instruction on early winter tree care. The focus will be on both the basics of...

When all is dormant and brown outdoors, moss can be very much alive and green.
Look around moist spots in your yard or nearby woods and you will likely find a patch of bright green moss.
Gently lift some of that pretty patch and transplant pieces into a...

You're making your gift list and checking it twice, and you discover there's a gardener Santa needs to remember.
Stress not. Gardeners are, by far, the easiest people to please because there are so many gifts that appeal to their love for all things...

"Gardening Freedom!" is the theme for the 2015 Home Gardener Day workshop being held next month at the Marriott City Center in Newport News.The annual workshop gives home gardeners a full day of workshops, classes and events with arborists,...

I've always believed there is no wrong or right way to garden — only your way.
Your garden should reflect your personality, your style and your needs — and 2015's gardening trends reflect that same philosophy.
"Now, more than ever, the garden is an...

Across the country this holiday season, families and friends will gather around fires in woodstoves or fireplaces. But how you build that fire – and what you burn – can have a significant impact on air quality and health, both inside your home and...

Stewardship Virginia, a statewide campaign to encourage and recognize volunteer activities with a tangible impact on Virginia's natural resources, continues this year with events across the state. The campaign's fall activities run through Oct. 31, a...